Girls soccer: Willows Academy completes 21-win season taking 3rd at 1A state tournament
Tiny Willows Academy (enrollment: 220) of Des Plaines came up big on a vast stage Friday morning at the Class 1A girls soccer state tournament at North Central College in Naperville, edging University High School-Chicago 1-0 in the match for third place.
The Eagles’ win avenged a 2-1 loss to the Maroons on May 2 and matched the feat achieved by Willows’ 2011 edition for the best state finish in program history.
Eagles senior midfielder Veronica Presberg converted a penalty kick in the seventh minute, and senior goalkeeper Pia Chapello made 4 saves in the contest for the bronze. Willows (21-3-1) had lost a 2-0 semifinal to eventual state champion Belleville Althoff on Thursday afternoon.
Coach Kayla Driver’s Eagles squad was 15-0-1 before it lost a pair of games in seven days in early May.
Presberg amassed an impressive 36 goals to go with 26 assists — team-high statistics — this spring. Standout freshman midfielder Mary Seuffert had 25 goals and 8 assists, while junior midfielder Bernadette Presberg, Veronica’s sister, netted 16 goals and delivered 12 assists.
Veronica Presberg, senior forward Simone Burns and junior back Julia Lechner served as team captains in 2024.
Driver’s record at Willows stands at 47-11-4 after three seasons.
Willows’ third-place state team (17-4-2) in 2011 was coached by Amy McMahon.